Saturday, January 17, 2004
Mag Wheels: '35 Nash in Cars & Parts
I've always thought that the best auto history books were as much about the people who built cars as they were about the machines themselves.
Add the car's owners to the chronology, and the car often becomes a token of a much more interesting and emotionally resonant story.
I definitely felt that way reading Daniel Lamoreux's story about his father's (and now his brother's) 1935 Nash LaFayette in the Cars & Parts magazine. Mr. Lamoreux's dad owned the car for years without ever being able to restore it. When he died, his brother Mitch decided to take up the task. The results are outstanding, and the story is as much a tribute to their dad as much as it is a restoration story.
I hope the collector car magazines continue to publish articles like this one. Dry recitations of price lists, options, and performance statistics are boring. It's the emotional connections to our favorite cars that really count.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 07:09:57 PM
Mag Wheels: Auburns, Cords, Dueseys in Car Collector
If you haven't already guessed, this was a big month for orphan coverage in Car Collector magazine.
Andy Marks covered another big event. This time it was Auburn's annual ACD Festival on August 28th, 2003. Auburn, of course, is the home of The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum.
If you're an A-C-D fan, just remember: page 42.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 06:46:39 PM
Mag Wheels: Packards, etc., in Car Collector
Torq-O is based in Dayton, Ohio, and it's nice to see a local event covered pretty thoroughly, albeit somewhat belatedly.
Such is the case with Andy Marks' article The Wonders of Boonshoft in the Jan. 2004 issue of Car Collector
The Boonshoft is Dayton's natural history museum, and every year the museum hosts its Concours d'Elegance on its green, wide open grounds. I rarely see these cars at other local or regional events, but the Boonshoft manages to attract the Cords, Bugattis, Duesenbergs, Marmons and other rare, rare wheels. (It's the only event that attracts the elusive sharknose Graham in our area.)
And let's not forget the Packards. The Citizens Motorcar Company, America's Packard Museum , located in the very same building that housed Dayton's downtown Packard dealership back in the day, often shows off the rarest of the scarcest Packards at this show. You won't see the Pinin Farina-designed Packard out in the open at any other show.
If you can't make it to Dayton for the show, this article is the next best thing.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 06:12:48 PM
Mag Wheels: Crosley Hot Shot, Kaiser Darrin, and Muntz Jet in Car Collector
Jim Richardson (Does this guy sleep?) kicks on the high beams to cover three great orphan sports cars in the Jan. 2004 issue of Car Collector.
The article is called Forgotten Fifties Sportscars: Lust We Forget. It covers the Crosley Hot Shot, the Kaiser Darrin, and the Muntz Jet. (I didn't know that the Darrin's soft top could be configured in the landau position. Very consistent with Darrin's other landau designs, especially for Packard.)
Nice article, and it follows the recent trend I've noticed (most obviously in Collectible Automobile) wherein the articles focus on a group of cars with a common theme (ie, economy cars of '54).
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 05:42:55 PM
Mag Wheels: AMX in Car Collector
I just got done reading Chris Zinn's excellent article on the evolution of the AMX in the Jan. 2004 issue of Car Collector. If you're an AMC fan, this article is a must.
It's nice to know the car collector magazines are hiring more than one author who can write authoratively about the AMC classics. Here's to hoping that Chris's efforts to tell the Javelin story are as top notch.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 05:26:39 PM
Mag Wheels: '02 Olds in Special Interest Autos
Okay, so technically Oldsmobile isn't an orphan yet. So call this a sneak preview.
It's hard to miss the 1902 Curved Dash Olds on the cover of the Jan/Feb 2004 issue of Special Interest Autos. It's a beauty, and the article vividly written by Jim Richardson really brings this Brass Era beauty to life.
I've always wanted to retard a spark on one of these primitive machines. Driving them is so different (so high maintenance!) compared to today's cars that their owners should receive some kind of medal not only for being able to start them without serious injury but also for restoring and preserving them for the rest of us.
Check out this article! (SIA doesn't have a web site per se - and what's up with that? -, but the magazine is out on newsstands now.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 04:56:20 PM
Mag Wheels: Orphan Car Spotting in Recent Car Magazines
We're beginning a section on the blog called Mag Wheels, which is short for "magazine wheels."
Not-so-clever puns aside, these entries will alert you about any orphan car articles or news that we spot in the monthly collector car magazines.
If you have your own orphan car sightings that you'd like us to report, please let us know. Email me, Todd Ruel, at: todd@torq-o.com.
posted by Todd on 1/17/2004 04:36:00 PM
Friday, January 16, 2004
NAIAS 2004: Crying in the Chapel
My own personal Mecca shifts positions every month, and in January it moves to Detroit.
Like every dutiful car worshiper, I made my pilgrimage to Cobo Hall on Wednesday to kneel at the altar of the automotive gods.
But this religion is different. Thou SHALT covet. Thou SHALT envy thy neighbor's wife's convertible. Thou SHALT beg, borrow, and refinance to own and drive this year's chariot of the gods.
Normally my annual trek to the North American International Auto Show excites me and fills me with the hope that next year will be even better. This year, however, I almost had to stifle a yawn.
Certainly there were some great concept cars on display. Indeed, this is the main reason I visit Detroit's automotive chapel every year. But 2004 was different. I didn't sense any new or exciting trends.
Maybe I'm just flaming out like a rice burner that just used its last whiff of nitrous oxide. Maybe all looking and no buying is depressing me. Maybe I'm just disappointed that The GM Experience isn't handing out bottled water anymore. (Is Toyota cutting into market share THAT drastically? Yikes!)
Makes me wonder if I should park this religion in the garage and throw a cover over it. No more chanting. No more product literature recitations. I probably won't be a believer again anytime soon.
What's that you say? They're making a Mini Cooper turbo-powered convertible wagon? Let me grab my prayer book. I'll be right up.
posted by Todd on 1/16/2004 07:07:55 PM
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Going to the Auto Show!
Just a quick note to let you know that we're headed to Detroit this Wednesday.
We'll be taking pix. shooting stills, and providing as much news as possible related to the orphan car hobby.
This will be our 5th year attending the show, and believe us: there's always some breathless hype about a new model or feature that reminds us of the past. (Example: 2003 GMC Envoy with the retractable rear roof = 1963 Studebaker Wagonaire)
Come back on Friday for our section on the NAIAS 2004 called Been There. Drove That. See you then!
posted by Todd on 1/11/2004 02:06:54 PM
|
|
 |
